


A Hero's Reprieve

by Kuailong



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Gen, Post-Patch 5.0: Shadowbringers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:00:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29761392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kuailong/pseuds/Kuailong
Summary: As the dust settles and the Scions rush to find a solution, Alisaie takes a moment to reflect while in the company of an unconscious WoL.
Kudos: 6





	A Hero's Reprieve

The Warrior of Light. The Warrior of Darkness. A hero. She was beginning to despise these monikers. Despise the way people gazed up at him with such hope, such pride. Hated how the Au Ra looked away, a movement that many took as embarrassed, but she knew. He was beginning to break, to lose himself in the burdens this world and the Source had placed upon his shoulders. She had followed behind with the other Scions as they sprinted in his wake, hurrying to reach his side as he faced Vauthry. She had watched as his shoulders had tensed, as the well-wishers and hopefuls had spoken words of encouragement, of praise. How his stoic face betrayed nothing, but his hands flexed at his sides as he had stood there, graciously accepting all of the words. She almost despised them, the people who had come to depend on a single person as their savior. How even the Scions placed such heavy burdens on a man who had been nothing but a simple adventurer only years early. A man who had fought to near death time and time again to save people whose faces he had never seen. To stem the tides of war, a single shield against an onslaught of evil. How even here, in the First, he had become that shield.

And now she was standing beside his still form, grateful for this brief moment of reprieve. This small moment where it was only her and her friend in the room, his battered form covered in bandages and his face slack. Alisaie reached out, laying her hand atop the Au Ra’s. Marveling how even unconscious, his face remained stoic. A feature, she knew, of his race. A feature he had despised. 

“You’re a damn fool, you know that?” She murmured, her head bowing as she took his hand in both of hers. “Every time you run off, knowing that it will cause you pain. Knowing that you could die, or worse.” She didn’t dare be this unguarded around the other Scions, with the exception of her twin. She knew that they felt that each step, each sacrifice and each scar meant a step towards a better future. But rarely did it seem that the rest of them noticed the weight of the burdens that her friend carried. How his smile had changed since she had met him so long ago. How his eyes lacked the light they did even a few months before. How his shoulders bowed, as if the metaphysical weight of everything had begun to translate into very physical means. 

“Alisaie?” Her head snapped up, though she was unsurprised to see it was her twin. He had probably sensed that something was wrong, neither of them could hide their feelings from the other for long. “How is he?” She offered a soft smile to her brother, not bothering the hide the sadness she had so openly expressed moments before.

“Nothing has changed, it seems.” She turned away from Alphinaud to look back at the battered warrior, her shoulders sagging once more. 

“And how are you?” That question caught her off guard, and her head whipped around to offer her brother a very pointed look. He could tell already, why would he ask for her to speak aloud the feelings that were so plainly written on her face.

“The others are worried, too.” His words were soft as she watched him sit down beside her.

“But they didn’t stop him. Urianger and Y’shtola knew something like this would happen, they knew something was wrong about it all. He almost died, Alphinaud. He still could, and I know everyone is out there searching for answers or ways to help, but none of us tried to stop him.” She was angry with herself, too, for not trying harder to stop their friend.

“We couldn’t have even if we tried, sister. You know that. He wouldn’t hesitate to do it again, either.” Alphinaud’s voice sounded as weary as she felt, and she sighed, bringing her empty hand to rub against her eyes.

“It’s still so unfair. He places himself in danger, time and time again. He ducks out before thanks can be given, he outright refuses acknowledgment. He quietly shoulders all of these burdens while we can only stand by and offer paltry assistance.” She watched as the warrior shifted for a moment, her entire body tense as she prepared for another fit, another nightmare of some unseen foe that he seemed to fight in his sleep. Yet, there was nothing, and she breathed a sigh of relief. He simply returned to being still, to a deeper level of unconsciousness she could only hope offered him some rest, even though she knew his body was waging a war of its own. 

“And yet, despite it all, he continues on.” Alphinaud whispered, clearly having noticed the warrior’s movement on the bed and dropping his voice even lower. 

“You can’t have missed how tired he seemed, right before facing Vauthry. How in recent weeks, his shoulders bow just that much more with each task.” Alisaie returned to holding the Au Ra’s hand, briefly marveling at just how large it seemed in comparison to hers. 

“But only he could do what he did, and he knew that. He wouldn’t hesitate to do it again,” her brother continued, seemingly lost in the conversation as he stared out of the window. “He knows that. We know that. We wouldn’t be here without him, a dozen times over.”

“I want to do more, Alphinaud. I want to stop being a bystander while our friend sacrifices himself for the good of entire worlds. Everyone lauds him as an untouchable hero, but we see the aftermath. We see how the wars and battles have changed him. You know this to be true. I want to do more, because it’s not fair the every damned burden gets placed on his shoulders. Every problem we face, he is the solution.” Her voice carried tones of frustration, as she herself had fallen back into that routine.

“Alisaie…” She looked away from her brother, moving both of her hands to her lap as she pointedly refused to face even her twin with the tears that threatened to flow forth.

“I know he wouldn’t stop, or give up, but I also know that even heroes need a break. Even heroes need people to be there for them, and it feels like we been nothing but a burden to him, another person who needs protection. He looked exhausted before he faced Vauthry, and don’t tell me it was just the light eating away at him. This may be the first real break he’s gotten, any of us have, since this all started, and it’s only because he nearly died!” She did her best to keep her voice low, but the emotions she had tried to hold at bay were now threatening to overwhelm her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and then suddenly her twin was wrapping his arms around her, pulling her in for a hug. 

“I … wanted to be just like him, which is why I founded the Crystal Braves. But I wasn’t strong enough, and it only caused him trouble. Yet, he never held it against me, he was there to pick up the pieces and to pick the rest of us up off of the ground. Whatever he has inside of him, and I know it’s not just Hydaelyn’s influence, it causes people to flock to him, and he shoulders burdens because he feels an obligation to help. It’s … hard to explain, but I understand how you feel. I wish I could be more help than I am, which is why I have been trying to get stronger.” Alphinaud’s voice matched her own, and she couldn’t help but nod, allowing both of them this brief comfort, this reprieve where they could allow their emotions to flow freely. A chuckle came from the Au Ra on the bed, and both of the twins pulled away abruptly, Alphinaud knocking his head against hers in the rush. 

“Ow.” Alisaie grunted, reaching up to rub her head as she gaped in wonder at the Au Ra that was watching them with a rather bemused expression. “How long have you been awake?” The elezen scowled, trying to school her own emotions back into the disgruntled expression that was her norm. 

“Long enough.” The Au Ra responded, his smile swiftly turned to a grimace as he tried to push himself from the bed.

“Oh, no you don’t.” Alisaie snapped, reaching forward to place a hand on his shoulder, gently preventing him from rising. 

“I’ll go get Rhyne!” Alphinaud’s voice startled Alisaie, as she had briefly forgotten her brother was there. Not waiting for a response, he was up and out of his seat before Alisaie could even say anything, though she didn’t miss the blush that her twin attempted to hide as he ducked out of the room. 

“What happened … after?” Alisaie’s attention was pulled back to the Au Ra, watching as he acquiesced to her movement and settled himself against the pillows.

“You’re a damn idiot.” Alisaie muttered, quickly removing her arm from his shoulder in an attempt to hide her face, hide the tears that she could no longer contain. The Au Ra chuckled again, and she felt one of his massive hands gently grasp her arm before she finished the motion. 

“Sorry …” Alisaie quickly lowered her face, using her free arm to scrub at her face. Before she could try to answer the Au Ra’s question, the door to the room slammed open, the handle rattling with such force as the rest of the Scion’s piled in. In the bustle, Alisaie quickly abandoned her seat, pulling away from the Warrior’s touch and ducking out of the room. If they needed her, they would let her know. Still, she didn’t go far, hovering outside of the door and straining to hear the conversations happening within. 

* * *

As the dust settled and she waited until the last Scion had left, she peaked her head in the room. She was shocked to find her friend sitting up on the bed, his face turned towards the window as he frowned. Ah, the light. Quietly, Alisaie made her way into the room, closing the door behind her.

“I’m sorry,” the words caused Alisaie to pause, stopping short of sitting on the chair positioned next to the bed.

“For what?” She asked softly, her head tilted to the side.

“For taking everything on myself. I know that I have friends, that I have a team behind me, but I am so afraid of any of you getting hurt that I try to take everything on myself. I don’t want to lose anyone else.” His words were soft, nearly whispered, as his gaze remained locked on the window. Alisaie sighed, finally sitting down and leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling. 

“You’re an idiot,” she sighed. “We’re here because we care, and we all know the risks. We don’t want to lose you, either. Just because you’re mister Hero of whatever, that doesn’t mean you have to do everything alone. You’re not alone, and being a hero doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice yourself, either!” As she spoke, her voice rose, she no longer bothered trying to mask her emotions as they seeped into every word.

“You’re right. I’ll remember that from now on.” He turned to face her, a wide smile on his face, a brief moment where he wasn’t frowning at the sky. Alisaie exhaled, leaning forward to envelope her friend in a hug. He stiffened, clearly surprised by the movement, but damn if Alisaie wasn’t going to see this through. As she pulled away, she saw a range of emotions flash across the Au Ra, before settling on a grateful smile. They still had much more to do, but at least they would do it together. 

**Author's Note:**

> For my FC's writing competition.


End file.
